Times Will Get Better
by Tanzani Coil - The Only
Summary: After the events of The Winter Soldier, Natasha finally thinks about the S.H.I.E.L.D files that have been leaked, and the effect it has on her. Clint also sees her necklace for the first time. Oneshot, slight fluff at the end!


The woman had her head down as she walked in New York, the sunglasses sheltering her eyes and her hood protecting her head from the sights of everyone else.

Her recent endeavours – along with every secret and mission every single S.H.I.E.L.D agent had ever embarked on – had made its way to the public eye, and she hated it. She liked her life the way it used to be; silent and deadly. She used to have the comfort of knowing that the darker parts of her life were only hers to know of.

All of that went down the drain, and now, every person in the world had the capabilities to go and look her up. Now, it was that simple. The last few weeks had taken its toll on Natahsa Romanoff; betrayed, unravelled, and alone. And tired. _God _was she tired.

The Avengers Tower, formally Stark Tower, stood proudly amongst the other buildings in New York. Tony Stark had gone to the lengths of opening it up to The Avengers after the New York incident; each teammate had their own floor to themselves. Natasha appreciated it; especially when every cover and hospitality she ever owned was known to the public.

The second she made it through the main doors, she shook her head out of her hood and took of her sunglasses. She blinked as the light flooded into her sight, but didn't stop walking. She briefly wondered if Steve had made it back here before he went to investigate Bucky's file, but she very much doubted it. He has his priorities, and she has hers.

She walked into the main lounge, and as the lift door opens, Tony, Pepper and Thor all turned around to look at her. Pepper walked over, holding out a glass of water. "We were hoping you'd come back soon."

Thor nodded his greetings to her from the kitchen. "I'm sorry." He knew how much her identities meant to her; it wasn't exactly a secret that she'd keep to herself if she could. He wasn't sure if there was a point in that anymore.

She looked down at the floor, accepting Pepper's water. It wasn't as if only _her _files were leaked out; but hers were the only ones with the dark histories. Thor? Tony? They made mistakes but mistakes happen. Natasha's experience with the Red Room and her many careless assassinations were sinister.

She swallowed down any forms of apologies she considered making. "Is Barton here?"

Tony looked up, his head moving tilting to the direction of the roof. "Hawk? Pfft, he's in his nest, like usual."

Natasha nodded and took the lift up the few more levels. She had to go up a small flight of stairs to get onto the roof, which she viewed as an advantage. Being secluded and happy, then finally hearing the annoying _ding _of a lift wouldn't be appreciated, she knew.

She watched her partner, friend, and co-worker sitting on the edge of the Stark Tower. The sunset was starting to form in the distance, and the light was showing on his face. She allowed a small smile. Something that pretty was a gift compared to the last few weeks she'd been having.

She silently walked over and sat down beside him. Neither said anything, but Clint moved his hand to find hers and held it tightly. Natasha appreciated the gesture, especially when his thumb gently stroked her fingers through the embrace.

For a good few minutes, they stayed like that, until he broke the comfortable silence. "It's going to die down, you know." He said, and she glanced at him. "All the reports and news... At some point, it'll go quiet again. You're gonna be alright."

He finally turned to her, his grey eyes that she loved so much gentle on her. "I hope so." She only said quietly, turning back to the sunset. He nodded.

He tugged at her hand and she slowly shuffled over, her head resting on his shoulder with his arm embracing her waist. "All the times we had," she sighed, "They're all... Not special anymore. It's like an inside joke been made public."

"Not necessarily." He murmured in reply. "People would only really be after the dark stories." She rolled her eyes and he ended up chuckling. "Sorry, not much of a consolation. My point is, people won't care much for the missions that we shared. It's not like our memories were in those reports; no one knows about them." He pointed out, and she felt a bit better.

The sun finally went down and the stars flooded the sky, he turned to her and she nodded, both getting up. They were both quiet as they went into Clint's room – hers would be too cold and unused.

The second the door closed, and they looked at each other, they both took a step forward into a tight hug, Clint burying his face into her hair and Natasha's arms around his back. She breathed in his scent and sighed, feeling pretty content for the first time in a while. When they finally pulled away, Clint had a small smile on his lips. "You look better now."

"Yeah," she agreed, "I feel it. Come on, I'm tired as."

Natasha ended up with a comfortable tank top and yoga pants, and Clint with simple tracking bottoms and topless. He smiled lightly as he looked her over, but something in particular caught his eye. She was wearing a necklace, which in itself was odd for her, but the fact that it was a small, silver arrow made his smile grow wider. She looked up to see him looking, and he walked closer.

"I didn't know you wore necklaces." He grinned, and she wacked his shoulder playfully.

"Do you like it?" She asked softly, and he nodded. He kissed her forehead and stayed there for a few seconds before pulling away.

"Yeah, I love it."

They slept in each other's arms that night; the moon shining through the window made Natasha's hair look beautiful. She noticed his eyes were shining. His arms were holding her close to his chest, and both fell asleep to the sound of each other's hearts; beating steadily through the peaceful night.


End file.
